Generating an SSH key

Generating a new SSH key on Linux / Mac

1. Open Terminal.

2. Paste the text below, substituting in your email address.

   $ ssh-keygen -t rsa -b 4096 -C "[email protected]"

   This creates a new ssh key, using the provided email as a label.

   > Generating public/private rsa key pair.

3. When you're prompted to "Enter a file in which to save the key," press Enter. This accepts the default file location.

   > Enter a file in which to save the key (/home/you/.ssh/id_rsa): [Press enter]

4. At the prompt, type a secure passphrase. Leaving it blank is fine

   > Enter passphrase (empty for no passphrase): [Type a passphrase] > Enter same passphrase again: [Type passphrase again]

Generating a new SSH key on Windows

1. Download and install the PuTTY SSH Client for Windows.
2. Navigate to Start menu -> All Programs -> PuTTY -> PuTTYgen.
3. Click Generate to generate the key and follow the instructions
4. Copy the returned public key.